Who was Mrs. Grundy?
Mrs. Grundy isn’t a real person. She’s a metaphor like John Q. Public. Mrs. Grundy was a character mentioned in the 18th century play, “Speed the Plough,” by Thomas Morton. The term refers to people who believe others should conform to conventional social proprieties. Mrs. Grundy is a busybody who is overly concerned with the morals of others. “What Mrs. Grundy . . . will say” is really just another way to say, “What will the neighbors think?
Mrs. Grundy isn’t a real person. She’s a metaphor like John Q. Public. Mrs. Grundy was a character mentioned in the 18th century play, “Speed the Plough,” by Thomas Morton. The term refers to people who believe others should conform to conventional social proprieties. Mrs. Grundy is a busybody who is overly concerned with the morals of others. “What Mrs. Grundy . . .
